NATCHEZ — Alderman Dan Dillard says he does not think the city has a valid lease with casino developers for the property on Roth Hill, but the mayor and board attorney disagree.

At a specially-called meeting Dillard requested for Tuesday night, Dillard aired his concerns about the lease and about the handling of negotiations with developers during the past three years.

Dillard said he has acquired a copy of the original lease option and other documents including a July 2009 notice from Natchez Enterprises stating they are exercising their option, but the board nor the public were ever made aware of it.

“The absence of closing documents is critical. Those would tell us who entered a lease with who. What are the terms? When did it begin?

“There have been changes in Natchez Enterprises. (The original lease option agreement) lists two officers who are no longer with Natchez Enterprises.

“There are important developments that have not been brought to the government authority an that is this board,” Dillard said.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said the timeline of the project development concerns her.

She said the developers have not begun construction when they said they would on many occasions, which has her questioning the true state of commitment.

“Part of my uneasiness is, are they really in the mode, are they ready now to provide what they initially said they would?” Arceneaux-Mathis said.

Middleton said the developers presented a packet of information to the Mississippi Gaming Commission, which includes a December 2011 deadline for completed construction.

City Attorney Everett Sanders said he has talked to other lawyers, and although the lease agreement does not contain a clause with a deadline for construction, it would be possible to void the lease in court if the city decided that is what it wanted to do.

Dillard also questioned whether Premier Gaming or The Lane Company, the managers of the project and the real estate developing company affiliated with Natchez Enterprises, respectively, had financing to back up the project.

“Speculating is what they’re doing,” Dillard said.

Middleton said the gaming commission would only grant a license to a company that is legitimate and has financial backing.

Natchez Enterprise is on the gaming commission’s November agenda.

Middleton said he has attended many meetings with the developers, and all of the departments involved are eager to work on the project.

Arceneaux-Mathis said she wanted to be included in upcoming meetings with the developers.

Middleton said the developers will be in town Tuesday, and he welcomed Arceneaux-Mathis to attend.

Ward 2 Alderman James “Ricky” Gray said if the board does a better job of communicating to the public, the board would not be in the position it is in now.

Approximately 20 members of the public attended the meeting.

Resident Bryant Reed said after the meeting the situation was confusing.

Reed said he attended to get an update on the situation as a concerned citizen after reading about the meeting in the newspaper.